The Call to the All: Inclusivity and Impartiality in Ministry, Part I

“The common enemy of all ethical systems is the narrow and relentless pursuit of self-interest at the exclusion of everyone else” (Liew, 2008).

God is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34 KJV). To be a respecter means that you demonstrate actions of acceptance and hold attitudes of impartiality towards others. Synonymous to impartiality is unbiased, unprejudiced and equitable (Dictionary.com, 2012). Jesus displayed the nature of impartiality during His earthly ministry throughout the Gospels, as well as the inclusive passage of entry to grace. The Great Commission to “teach all nations” (Matt 28:19) holds apparent the premises of impartiality and inclusion.

The Blue Letter Bible defines all in Matt 28:19 as “each, every, all, the whole, all things, and everything” (2012). You read this in “all the world” and “every creature” (Mark 16:15), “all nations” (Luke 24:47) and all Judea and Samaria, and (Acts 1:8b). Also, “to the ends of the earth” reflects the nature of all.

There is a call to minister to the all of society. This means that believers mirror God’s character of impartiality to foundation a house accessible to reconciliation with Him. The inclusionary side of all and impartiality aspect of respecter work in tandem with each other. This duality found in the call to the all can make you feel uncomfortable because it involves ministering from an ethno relative point of view. You must consider what you see, hear and touch from external culture, and discern beliefs, values, thought patterns and myths of internal (See below illustration of cultural iceberg, adapted by Culbertson from Weaver, 1998).

The initial step to impart a culture characterized by impartiality and inclusivity, requires honest introspection and personal commitment to change. Eric Law says that ethnocentrism exists, “when a person brought up in one culture, having never seen or experienced a different culture, believes that his or her culture’s way of doing things is the right way” (Law, 1993, p.4). Well, let’s real talk. – Most likely, everyone has known or unknown ethnocentric views to some degree. Realizing the need for change is critical to growth, and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal those things that need to be changed is paramount to a mind enveloped with impartiality for all peoples. The next step is to reflect on how to respond to the call of ministering to the all of society. In doing so, develop concrete actions that support inclusion and impartiality. Finally, the last step is to assess spiritual growth in others by measuring maturity, unity, favor and numbers (Acts 2:42-47).

INVESTIGATIONS & LESSONS
In the second part of this series, I’ll delve more into inclusivity and impartiality in ministry by examining inclusivity and impartiality within Peter’s interaction with Cornelius and the surrounding events in Act 10 through the lens of intercultural sensitivity. The third part will feature series with lessons for learning to create a culture of inclusion and impartiality to support conditions for multicultural, heterogeneous ministry. The series concludes with measuring church growth as a result of sustaining an inclusive and impartial culture.

Image Sources
Respecter: http://irmgardebrown.com/2011/02/17/god-is-just/
Cultural Iceberg: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/iceberg.htm

References

• Liew, T. (2008). “The moral limits of impartiality.” Kemanusiaan. Retrieved on January 20, 2012, from http://web.usm.my/kajh/watermarkKEMANUSIAAN%2015/artikel%204.pdf
• Blue Letter Bible. (2012) All. Retrieved on January 20, 2012, from http://www.blueletterbible.org.
• Dictionary.com. (2012). Impartiality. Retrieved on January 20, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/impartiality
• Kraft, C. (2005). Christianity in culture: A study in biblical theologizing in cross-cultural perspective. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
• Law, E. (2000). Inclusion: Making room for grace. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press.
• Law, E. (1993). The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: A spirituality for multicultural community. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press.
• Legrand, L. (2000). The Bible on culture. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
• McGavran, D. (1988). Effective evangelism: A theological mandate. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.
• Matthews, K and Park, M. (2011). The post-racial church: A biblical framework for multiethnic reconciliation. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
• Okholm, D. The Gospel in black and white: Theological resources for racial reconciliation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.
• Rogers, G. The role of worldview in missions and multiethnic ministry. Retrieved January 18, 2012, from http://www.amazon.com/Role-Worldview-Missions-Multiethnic-Ministry/dp/0977439631/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I33WWU44TRX90K&colid=5XE3FUG9O31Z#_
• Shenk, W. (1999). Changing frontiers of mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
• Smith, D. (2002). Creating understanding: A handbook for Christian communication across cultural landscapes. Tyndale.
• Weaver,G., (ed.). (2000). Culture, communication and conflict: Readings in intercultural relations. Boston, MA: Pearson Publications.
• Whitesel, B. (2011). Organix. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
• Witherington, B. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: A socio-rhetorical commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing.
• Yamamori, T. (1993). Penetrating missions’ final frontier: A new strategy for unreached peoples. Downer’s Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

All Rights Reserved
Jan Paron
January 20, 2012

What’s So Amazing About Grace: Including the Excluded

This week we remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his I Have a Dream Speech, “When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last” (1963).

Since the beginning of time, people often could not reconcile themselves with each other due to a host of man-made barriers to unity. Gods’ grace runs counter to worldly obstructions, though, unconfined to these hindrances. — Neither race, nor ethnicity, nor age, nor gender, nor origin, nor economics limit access to it. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection brought freedom from the darkness of sin over 2,000 years ago. I thank Jesus Christ, the Almighty God, that as believers we are free! “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:10 ESV).

His light shines into the cracks and crevices of darkness that separate the elect from reconciliation. Galatians 3:28 says that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (KJV). The Light shines the way to salvation for His chosen, even for those who society deems as the excluded. One example of how God’s grace transcends governing rules can be found in Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well and His subsequent opportunity to deliver the salvation message to the people in Samaria. Let’s take a look at how Jesus freely offered Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritans, a people who the Jews despised. Historically, Jewish and Samaritan held divided relationships with strong racial and religious tensions.
JESUS INCLUDES THE EXCLUDED.

A Story of Inclusion: The Samaritan Woman at the Well

Jesus and His disciples leave Jerusalem and travel to Galilee, taking the shortcut through Samaria. They arrive in Samaria at high noon. Jesus stops in Sychar. Feeling wearied from the journey, He sits by Jacob’s well. His disciples continue to a nearby city to buy something to eat. (John 4:3-8).

The story continues. Now, a Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water. Most likely they were alone. The disciples were in search of food, and women customarily went to the well in the morning (4:8).

Jesus asks her for water. This action is unthinkable, even shocking, for Jews. The Samaritan herself is surprised by his action. “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (4:9).

Jesus’ dealings with the Samaritan woman at the well provide an interesting glimpse of salvific access to grace as it interacts with ethnicity, religion, gender, economics and political morays found in New Testament social order. In this instance, Jesus architects salvation’s parameters by illustrating there are no boundaries to the extension of grace.
He broke a number of Jewish taboos with the encounter as a whole such as those dealing with religion, race, social strata and gender. It’s interesting that many of these taboos are relevant in part today.

 Religion ˗ Samaritans only held to the Torah and worshipped at a Mt. Gerizim. Different canon and place of worship…
 Race ˗ Samaritans intermarried with Assyrians in previous times. Different, mixed-race people…
 Social Strata ˗ The Jewish laws of niddah considered Samaritan females unclean from birth to death (Ilan, 1996). Different cleanliness laws than Jewish women…
 Gender ˗ Jewish men could not look at or speak to a female other than his wife (Ilan, 1996). Different communication standards for men…

These so called taboos did not separate Jesus from the woman. As with other occasions, when Jesus met with people on the margins, He focused on the harvest. He carried on with the dialogue.
JESUS INCLUDES THE EXCLUDED.

His request for water was not the point on the conversation…Jesus had water to offer her, living water, eternal life that’s only available through Him. The woman does not fully understand at first. Perhaps she’s surprised that He discloses she had five husbands and lives with a man not her husband. She questions Him, and then realizes He is the Messiah (4:13-26)
JESUS INCLUDES THE EXCLUDED.

The woman returns to her town and invites the people to “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” (John 4:29 ESV) She evangelizes to others.
JESUS INCLUDES THE EXCLUDED.

After Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman, He now has opportunity to include a greater population into the message of grace and living water of eternal life. Jesus stays with the Samaritans for two days and teaches them about the Kingdom of God. John 4:42c says that when Jesus left, the people told the woman, “we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
JESUS INCLUDES THE EXCLUDED.

The Call to Become of One Heart and Mind

Jesus, in John 17:20-23, says:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

This passage highlights the concept of oneness of believers. Christ prays that the redeemed would unite as one according to the Father’s will. The word one (εἷς Gr.) appears five times in this passage, transliterating from Greek as heis and meaning the numeral one. I was intrigued by the frequency count of the word one in these verses, so I searched online for its significance. My research took me to mathematical rules, in which I learned about the power of one. — Regardless of how many times you multiple one times one, it still equals one. This rule can be applied to the context of John 17:20-23. When the unified body of Christ repeatedly multiplies itself, it still equals the body of Christ. The body, as one, holds the same constant properties of Christ dwelling within us. This enables the body to live out the power of one, multiplied the world over, as a living witness of His light.

The role of every Christian is to harmonize one’s purpose with God’s will to bring others into this same oneness. When the body of Christ acts as one heart and mind, then it joins together in one accord. — As Apostle Paul said to the church of Philippi, be likeminded, “having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Phil. 2:2).

As members of the Christian community, we must take stock of our mission to bring the message of the Gospel, words of freedom found in Christ Jesus, and open access to the salvation message to the multitudes of humanity. Taking from what is learned from Jesus in Samaria, do we love God’s people the same way He does? Jesus commands “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). I ask whether this is genuine or topical. When we gather in worship, do those around us represent the rich tapestry of His people? Jesus is the light of the world (8:12). The act of loving one another epitomizes the culture of inclusion in the body of Christ and, thus shines His light where people need to be free. Is there anyone we need to include today?

References
Berger, R. (2011). “The most interesting woman in the world.” Christianity Today. Retrieved January 13, 2012, from http://www.sojo.net/blogs/2011/06/07/most-interesting-woman-world/

Carson, D. (n.d.) Who were the Samaritans? Retrieved January 12, 2012, from http://davcarson.home.mindspring.com/Intertestamental//samaritan.htm

Ilan, T. (1996). Jewish women in Greco-Roman Palestine. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

Kartveit, M. (2009). The origin of the Samaritans. Leiden: NL, Brill, Hotei Publishing.

King, Jr. (1963). “I have a dream speech.” American rhetoric: Top 100 speeches. Retrieved on January 16, 2012, from http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

Math.com. (2005). Rules of one. Retrieved on January 16, 2012, from http://www.math.com/ school/subject2/lessons/S2U2L2DP.html

Plummer, R. The Samaritans in Flavius Josephus(Studies in Ancient Judaism)

Wikipedia. (2012). Niddah. Retrieved on January 13, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niddah.

Womeninthebible. (n.d.) Samaritan woman: Her story. Retrieved on January 13, 2012, from http://www.womeninthebible.net/ 2.8.Samaritan_woman.htm# What the story is about

Jan Paron
January 16, 2012

All Rights Reserved, 2012
Jan Paron

Ministry Opportunities

I’ll post ministry opportunities from time-to-time on the blog site. Contact me at janparon@att.net, if you would like me to share a ministry opportunity from your church. (You can find future ministry posts on a separate page in the blog site.)

Summer Internships and Fulltime positions in the fastest growing county in America.

There is a “Black Gold” rush going on in North Dakota right now that rivals the Gold Rush of 1849. This is an amazing ministry opportunity. I hope you can take advantage of it.

New Hope Church is situated in one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. The community is expected to double in size, at the least, in the next few years and our Church is not far behind. Families from around the world are moving to the region because of the high availability of jobs and opportunities. Our vision is to be a church in multiple locations across North Dakota and Montana to reach the thousands of families moving into the region.

**Pastor Michael Skor will be available to speak with anyone interested on Thursday from 12-1 pm and 5-6 pm in Baldwin. He will be sitting near the entrance at a table with a Purple sign. You are highly encouraged to take advantage of this great opportunity.**
The two full-time positions are listed below.

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DIRECTOR OF WORSHIP ARTS
The Director of Worship Arts will be responsible for maximizing and developing all of the arts (vocal, instrumental, technical, facility, dance, drama, etc.) in an authentic, highly creative and excellent worship experience. He/she will be responsible for leading the programming team in the weekly planning of Worship celebration as well as seasonal productions. We desire an individual who does not just lead worship. It is more vital for them to be able to develop teams in a rapidly changing and growing environment. Required education/experience: Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university (preferably in music or music education); at least two to three years related experience and/or training in a larger church setting; or equivalent combination of education and experience. A passion for reaching lost people is a must. This person must possess leadership and communication skills and be willing to fully utilize the gifts and abilities of those who are willing to serve, and have the heart to sit back and develop those individuals to be leaders on their own. Bottom line for us is, we are not looking for a “one man/woman show.” Rather, we love doing life as a team and are looking for a leader to create teams who do ministry and life together.

New Hope Church’s strategic vision is three-fold:
• Go to people with the love of Christ (Lost People found)
• Grow people up in Christ (Found people growing)
• Give ourselves away for Christ (New Hope Impacting our world)

This is a full-time ministry-team level staff position; Compensation will include commensurate salary, health care, vacation, continuing education, and retirement benefits. A detailed job description is available upon request.

Please e-mail resumes and inquiries to: Michael Skor, Lead Pastor at newhope@nemont.com (please put Worship Arts in the subject field) or mail to New Hope Church Attn: Job Posting PO Box 2200, Wiliiston, ND 58802

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DIRECTOR OF FAMILY AND CHILDRENS’ MINISTRY
New Hope Church is looking for an individual committed to pushing the envelope of leadership, creativity and excellence … one who passionately believes God can do exceedingly more than we can ever imagine … a person who is very capable of developing and leading effective and purposeful ministries that will connect with children, students, and their families in deeply meaningful ways. The ideal candidate will have experience developing or working with a dynamic ministry to young people and their families. A four-year degree in education or Christian education is highly desired but not mandatory. A passion for reaching lost people is a must.

New Hope Church’s strategic vision is three-fold:
• Go to people with the love of Christ (Lost People found)
• Grow people up in Christ (Found people growing)
• Give ourselves away for Christ (New Hope Impacting our world)

This is a full-time ministry-team level staff position; Compensation will include commensurate salary, health care, vacation, continuing education, and retirement benefits. A detailed job description is available upon request.

Please e-mail resumes and inquiries to: Michael Skor, Lead Pastor at newhope@nemont.com (please put Family & Children in the subject field) or mail to New Hope Church Attn: Job Posting PO Box 2200, Wiliiston, ND 58802

Image source: http://www.pfnazarene.org/ministries/

Your Facebook Timeline: I Wish I Hadn’t Posted That!

Christians can use Facebook as a powerful communication tool for the Gospel. Through this versatile social media venue, believers can spread the Good News and support the ministry of reconciliation in a number of ways: Evangelize, worship, study Scripture, pray, fellowship, fellowship, etc. On the other hand, Christians can entrap themselves into worldly behavior on Facebook that detracts from the Gospel message, I’m just saying, it’s easy to fall into the “I wish I hadn’t posted that” syndrome.

The new Facebook timeline is another opportunity for Christians to present their testimony of the Light. A timeline is a “linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred” (Dictionary.com, 2012). However, does your timeline portray a linear representation as God’s chosen? – Not without exception, I ask myself this very question.

This is a good time to sift through the timeline and craft it to show Christ. I found these guidelines for Facebook posting from Ted Camp to be quite helpful. He gives some good advice for Christians:

“Twelve Christian Guidelines For FaceBook”

1. Be Calm…You can later have regrets by posting something out of frustration.
2. Be Careful… You can criticize people who will later be informed of your criticism.
3. Be Cautious… You can embarrass yourself and others with certain pictures.
4. Be Certain… Your parents, family and friends will also see and share your postings.
5. Be Clear… Because your words can later be reprinted and misused.
6. Be Comforting… Write to help others instead of consoling yourself.
7. Be Compelled… To represent and present Christ.
8. Be Complete… Partial language and words can easily be misunderstood.
9. Be Content…FB is not the place to complain and gripe.
10. Be Creative…Inspire others to think positive and be truthful.
11. Be Christ-like…Be careful of worldly postings…
12. Be Cunning…Use FB as a means to encourage and bless others.

Whether Facebook or other social media venues, Christians have access to a wealth of options for global impact of the salvation message like never before. It’s a gift to be used with discernment to further the mission of the Church.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” (1 Pet 2:9 KJV).

Jan Paron
January 9, 2012

References

Camp, T. (n.d.) Twelve Christian guidelines for Facebook. “Silent world ministries.” Retrieved on January 9, 2012, from https://silentwordministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=908:twelve-christian-guidelines-for-facebook&catid=57:from-dr-ted-camp&Itemid=86

Image source: http://www.efectosocial.net/2011/08/23/guia-de-seguridad-en-facebook/

What are the next steps in research for the diverse church of the 21st century?

A host of dedicated researchers, produced a vast array of information about the multi-ethnic church. As a result, this body of research informs practice for those involved in ministry with a diverse population.

As the multi-ethnic church moves forward in the 21st century, what are some of the areas that should be researched for the diverse church of the future? I’d love to hear your thoughts about topics to consider. I listed some of mine below.

Areas for Research

Impact of church growth strategies on creating and maintaining a healthy, multi-ethnic church

Tri-gen model

Long-term strength of internal (multi-venue, multi-site) church plants and external plants (autonomous)

Change to the center of power in North American missions

Effective, holistic ministry practices

Managing change and conflict

Contextualization and syncretism in relation to culture

Liminality and marginalization

Effective training practices in preparing indigenous leaders for ministry with varied academic backgrounds, broad generational ranges and different worldviews

Leadership development for Generations X and Y populations

Immigration and the church.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Meeting People’s Needs

Leading in a Multi-ethnic Church Series, Part II.

Recently, I read Adrienne Gottlieb’s blog post entitled, “What Would Amos Say” (2010). She writes about meeting people’s needs. This brought the notion to my mind that this same concept can be applied to the church and how it responds to the needs of a diverse body of people in today’s rapidly changing and globalized society.

Too often, the North American church does not recognize the unique distinctions of the people to whom it tries to reach. Dan Kimball, in They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations, speaks to the fact that the current culture is increasingly postmodern (2007). This culture is not aligned with the euro-centric perspective and Judeo-Christian values and ethics upon which the United States was founded.

While the North American church’s attempt at addressing the shift towards the postmodern is illustrated by good intentions, nonetheless, it seems that the church frequently responds to people guided by its own ecclesiocentric understanding, from that of the dominant western European culture. Therefore, people who do not reside within the euro-centric and Judeo-Christian schema, of which many churches operate, are left behind.

Thus, the North American church must reflect on the following considerations to respond to people in today’s society. First, the church should minister with a perspective attuned to the broader context of culture. Second, it must adapt delivery of the Gospel through different communication styles. I am not advocating that the local church change the content of the salvation message or biblical principles –The Bible is God’s inerrant, authoritative Word–Rather, the church should alter practices that don’t reach people with the message. One size does not fit all.

There certainly has been much discussion on the subject of adapting to postmodern society in Christian venues, but the subject requires continual dialogue.

For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you (1 Cor. 9:19-23, King James Version).

Jan Paron, August 12, 2010

Gottlieb, A. (2010). What would Amos say, part III. Wisdom for Women. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://blog.godswisdomforwomen.com/

Kimball, D. (2007). They like Jesus but not the church: Insights from emerging generations. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Mistaken Identity

When I was in college, I went with a Christian group to Cookson Hills. We sang “Amazing Grace” as part of our morning worship. The compelling melody of “Amazing Grace” drew me to Christ. Not long afterwards, I received and professed Christ as my Savior, repented of my sins, was baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ and, later, received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, King James Version).

The melody of “Amazing Grace” is on black notes. Did you know that all Negro spiritual are written on the black notes of the piano? There are five notes in all, and together they constitute the pentatonic scale. John Newton wrote the words to this song and penned “Amazing Grace.” Newton was a captain of a slave ship. Through the black notes of this melody, I saw Jesus’ light.

The color black can take on a negative tone. Oftentimes, black is associated with darkness or evil. The good guys wear white, the bad wear black. Sometimes, black connects to sadness. In some cultures, one wears black as a sign of mourning over the passing of a loved one. In another negative connotation, black sparks hatred. For some people, dark skin emotes feelings of prejudice.

Let us not let color divide or improperly influence us for it keeps us in bondage. I am here to tell you that you that behind this negativity lurks evil, hatred, violence, depression, or anger. This keeps one bound and enslaved to sin. In turn, sin separates us from God. Let Jesus shine in your life. Jesus states in John 8:12 (King James Version) that, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Walk in the Light.